Former President Donald Trump recently became the latest in a line of presidential candidates targeted in assassination attempts. The 78-year-old Republican frontrunner reported via his Truth Social account that he was struck near his right ear during a rally in Butler, Pa., on Saturday. While the incident details are still emerging, the U.S. Secret Service confirmed the assailant was swiftly neutralized. Unfortunately, a bystander lost their life, and others suffered serious injuries.
This incident adds to a troubling history of similar threats against U.S. presidents and candidates. Here's a detailed look at notable assassination attempts on American leaders:
1. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was tragically assassinated. On April 14, 1865, while attending a play with his wife at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., he was shot by John Wilkes Booth. Booth, a supporter of the Confederacy, fired at Lincoln's head during the performance. Lincoln was immediately taken for medical help but passed away the next morning. His advocacy for civil rights for Black Americans was believed to be a motive for the assassination. After Lincoln's death, Andrew Johnson took over as President. John Wilkes Booth was later found and killed by the authorities.
2. Ames Garfield, the 20th President
Ames Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, was also assassinated. Just six months into his presidency, on July 2, 1881, he was shot by Charles Guiteau at a train station in Washington, D.C., where he was heading to New England. Despite efforts to save him, Garfield succumbed to his wounds months later. Charles Guiteau was found guilty and executed in 1882 after being convicted of the assassination.
3. William McKinley, the 25th President
William McKinley, the 25th President, was shot on September 6, 1901, while greeting citizens in Buffalo, New York. He was shot by Leon F. Czolgosz, a disgruntled individual, at close range. McKinley initially seemed likely to recover, but complications led to his death on September 14, 1901. Czolgosz was swiftly tried, convicted, and executed later that year.
4. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President
In February 1933, President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Miami. The attack, aimed at Roosevelt, resulted in the death of Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak. The shooter, Guiseppe Zangara, was convicted and sentenced to death for the attack.
5. Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President
President Harry S. Truman faced a serious threat in November 1950. Two gunmen attempted to break into Blair House, where Truman was residing, resulting in a deadly shootout with White House police. Truman was unharmed, but two police officers were killed. One assailant, Oscar Callazo, was sentenced to death, later commuted to life in prison.
6. John F. Kennedy, the 35th President
President John F. Kennedy was tragically assassinated on November 22, 1963, while travelling through Dallas, Texas, in a motorcade. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the shooting but was fatally shot days later by Jack Ruby. Kennedy's assassination shocked the nation, and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson succeeded him as President.
7. Gerald Ford, the 38th President
President Gerald Ford faced two assassination attempts in September 1975. Both attempts, by Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme and Sara Jane Moore, were unsuccessful. Fromme and Moore were convicted and served time in prison for their attempts on Ford's life.
8. Ronald Reagan, the 40th President
President Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt in March 1981. John Hinckley Jr. shot Reagan and others outside a speech venue in Washington, D.C. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and confined to a mental hospital.
9. George W. Bush, the 43rd President
In 2005, President George W. Bush narrowly avoided an assassination attempt in Tbilisi, Georgia, when a hand grenade was thrown near him and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. The grenade did not explode, and the assailant, Vladimir Arutyunian, was sentenced to life in prison.
10. Barack Obama, the 44th President
President Barack Obama faced an assassination attempt in November 2011. Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez fired a semiautomatic rifle at the White House from a vehicle on Constitution Avenue. Fortunately, the reinforced windows protected those inside, and no one was injured. Ortega-Hernandez was aprrested shortly after the incident and sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempting to assassinate the president.
11. Theodore Roosevelt, Presidential Candidate
Former President Theodore Roosevelt survived an assassination attempt in 1912 while campaigning for the presidency again. His thick speech notes in his pocket slowed the bullet, saving his life. John Schrank, the assailant, spent the rest of his life in mental hospitals.
12. Robert F. Kennedy, Presidential Candidate
Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in June 1968 in Los Angeles, shortly after winning the California primary for the Democratic presidential nomination. Sirhan Sirhan, convicted of the murder, remains imprisoned despite several attempts for parole.
13. George C. Wallace, Presidential Candidate
Governor George C. Wallace of Alabama, a presidential candidate, survived an assassination attempt during a campaign stop in Maryland in 1972. The attack left him paralysed from the waist down. Arthur Bremer, the shooter, was convicted and later released from prison.
